great-great-grandfather was Richard Witham Stockton, who was born at Princeton, N.J., in 1733, and was a cousin of his namesake who signed the Declaration of Independence. Richard W. Stockton served under the Crown with the rank of major during the war of the revolution. His son, Andrew Hunter Stockton (Mr. Stockton’s great-grandfather), also served under the Crown, with the rank of lieutenant, throughout the revolutionary war, and at its close they both, with other members of the family, came with the U. E. loyalists to St. John, then known as Parr Town. They were among the original grantees of that city. They subsequently removed to Sussex, Kings county, and became grantees of extensive tracts of land there. His great-grandfather, Lieutenant Andrew Hunter Stockton, was married at St. John (Parr Town) on the 4th day of April, 1784, to Hannah Lester. It was the first marriage which took place at Parr Town. Alfred A. Stockton was educated at the Academy and at the University of Mount Allison College, Sackville, N.B.; graduated B.A. there in 1864, being the valedictorian of his class, and M.A. in 1867. He also graduated LL.B. at Victoria University, Cobourg, Ontario, in 1869; PhD., on examination at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1883, and received the degree of D.C.L. from the University of Mount Allison in 1884; also LL.D. in course from Victoria University in 1887. He studied law with his uncle, the late C. W. Stockton, and was admitted to the bar of New Brunswick in Trinity term, 1868, and was for some years senior member of the law firm of A. A. and R. O. Stockton, of St. John, N.B. This legal firm having been dissolved, he is now practising law on his own account. As an advocate and as a speaker, Mr. Stockton stands high, and has done good service for his profession in compiling the rules of the Vice-Admiralty Court of New Brunswick, and editing in 1882, with very extensive notes, “Berton’s Reports of the Supreme Court of New Brunswick.” He is an examiner for degrees at the University of Mount Allison in political economy and constitutional history, and in law at Victoria University; is also registrar of the Court of Vice-Admiralty of New Brunswick; a director of the Provincial Building Society of New Brunswick, and legal adviser of the same; a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Mount Allison College and secretary of the Board; president of the Historical Society of New Brunswick; a member of the Council of the Barristers’ Society of the province; a director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and also its legal adviser and prosecuting counsel. He was at one time a director of the St. John Mechanics’ Institute and corresponding secretary of that corporation. In July, 1883, a vacancy having occurred in the New Brunswick Assembly, in consequence of the death of the Hon. Wm. Elder, LL.D., the provincial secretary, on the 23rd of August following, Mr. Stockton was elected to the House of Assembly to represent the city and county of St. John, to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Elder’s death. He was returned again for the same constituency at the last general election in April, 1886. He was appointed in June, 1887, by the government of New Brunswick, an advisory and honorary member of the commission to report upon the amendment of the “Law and Practice and Constitution of the Courts of that Province.” Mr. Stockton was opposed to the confederation of the provinces under the terms of the Act of Union, but favoured a union of the Maritime provinces. Having been brought up in the old school of New Brunswick Liberals, he is naturally opposed to the policy of protection so-called. He is a Liberal in Dominion politics, and in favour of manhood suffrage, and thinks the lieutenant-governors of the different provinces should be elected by the people of the province at large, and that the Senate of Canada should be elected for a specific term either by the direct vote of the constituencies or by the Provincial legislatures. He has always taken an active interest in higher education, and has written considerable for publication on different subjects. At one time was one of the editors of the Maritime Monthly, since ceased publication, and also a correspondent of La Revue Critique of Montreal, which has also stopped publication. Mr. Stockton for a number of years took an active interest in military affairs, and held a commission as captain in the militia of the province at the time of the union in 1867. He is a past master of the Masonic order, and a member of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick. He is also prominently identified with the temperance reform movement. In religious matters he is a member of the Methodist denomination, and has always belonged to that church, and at present is one of the trustees of the Centenary Methodist Church in St. John. He was married on the 5th September, 1871, to Amelia E., second daughter of the Rev. Humphrey Pickard, D.D., of Sackville, N.B., who was for over a quarter of a century president of the educational institutions at Sackville, and one of the most prominent educationists of the Maritime provinces of Canada.
Cram, John Fairbairn, Wool Merchant and Farmer, Carleton Place, Ontario, was born on October 13, 1833, in the township of Beckwith, county of Lanark, Ontario. His grandfather, Peter Cram, in the year 1820, with his wife, five of his sons and two daughters, left their native village of Comrie, in Perthshire, Scotland, and set out for Canada, to seek their fortune as farmers. After a tedious journey by sea and land, extending over two months, they reached the township of Beckwith, in Lanark, Ontario, where their eldest son John had settled two years before, and had prepared for them a primitive shanty in the woods. Here the family took up their temporary abode, and shortly afterwards, the father and several of his sons selected lands in the eleventh concession of Beckwith. The lots they selected were of good quality, and though heavily timbered, these sturdy Scotch pioneers did not feel the least dismayed, but soon succeeded in making a clearing in the forest, and establishing a comfortable home for themselves. In 1830, James, one of the sons of Peter Cram, and the father of the subject of our sketch, married Janet, daughter of John McPhail, of the township of Drummond, and settled on a lot adjoining his father’s farm, and in course of time this worthy couple were blessed with a family of six sons and three daughters, all of whom are still living, though they and their descendants are now scattered throughout Canada and the United States. The old couple passed away a few years ago, Mr. Cram at the age of eighty-seven years, and Mrs. Cram about ten years younger, both greatly respected and regretted by their numerous relatives and neighbours. John Fairbairn, who was the second eldest son of James Cram, was at the age of seven years sent to a school about three miles from home, and was able to attend pretty regular until May, 1846, when unfortunately his father’s dwelling house, with barn and all other outbuildings, were destroyed by fire, when he had to give up attending school and go to work on the farm. After this he had few opportunities presented him in the way of school learning; and at the age of seventeen left home and apprenticed himself to John Murdock, of Carleton Place, as a tanner, for three years. He honourably served his apprenticeship, and in the spring of 1853, joined in a partnership with his brother, Peter, when they built for themselves a tannery at Appleton, about three miles from Carleton Place. The brothers carried on the tanning business pretty extensively for about sixteen years, when John sold out his interest in the business to Peter, and removing to Carleton Place, erected a wool and pelt establishment for himself. In 1872, Mr. Cram was elected a member of the Board of Education of Carleton Place, and was re-elected continuously for the following twelve years. He occupied a seat in the Municipal Council of the village for eleven years, three of which he presided as reeve. At the end of this period, finding the position too onerous, he declined re-election. Mr. Cram is a total abstainer, and has been connected with the order of the Sons of Temperance, the Good Templars, and the County Temperance Alliance. In religious matters, he is an adherent of the church of his fathers—the Presbyterian church. Twenty-seven years ago he became a member of this church, and for the last eighteen years has been one of its managing committee, and six years ago was elected a deacon of the church. In politics, he is a staunch Reformer, and is president of the Reform Association of Carleton Place. Mr. Cram has been fairly successful in business, and although like many another self-made man, has had his trials and difficulties, yet he can afford to look back on his struggles and say that with the help of God and an indomitable will, I have succeeded in making enough of this world’s goods to enable me to spend the remainder of my days in comfort. In 1865, Mr. Cram was married to Margaret, only surviving daughter of William Wilson, of Appleton. This estimable lady died on the 21st of November, 1886. The fruit of the union was one daughter (deceased) and three sons.
Ross, Alexander Milton, M.D., Montreal, the eminent Canadian philanthropist, scientist and author, has had a career of striking interest. He was born on December 13th, 1832, in Belleville, Ontario. His father, William Ross, was a grandson of Captain Alexander Ross, an officer of General Wolfe’s army of invasion. Captain Ross took part in the battle on the Plains of Abraham, which resulted in the defeat of the French and the conquest of all Canada. He subsequently received a grant of lands from the Crown,
